


This Longest Ride That We Call Life

by TheNorthernBastard



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, game of thrones
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Arya is Sofia, F/M, Gendry is Luke, Sansa is Marcia, The longest ride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-14 08:59:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19269991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheNorthernBastard/pseuds/TheNorthernBastard
Summary: Arya Stark attends a bull riding show where she meets drop dead gorgeous, bull riding Gendry Waters, and she finds herself drawn into wild adventure of love heartache.





	This Longest Ride That We Call Life

**Author's Note:**

> Literally The Longest Ride reminded me of Gendrya. And it made me realise how well they match.

“You know, I still can’t believe I let you talk me into this!” Arya grumbled, walking faster to catch up with her sister, as they weaved their way through the crowds towards the stands of the make-shift stadium. “I’m mean seriously, a rodeo?” Arya asked her sister incredulously. Her sister grinned her at her, giggling lightly. “It’s not a rodeo, Ar, it’s _bull-riding_ ”, she corrected with a giggle.

 

Sansa looked down amusedly at her younger sister, who, although was small and doll-like in appearance with her round face, deep-set grey eyes, petite figure and bubblegum pink hair, was the complete opposite of her appearance. “Oh come on it’ll be fun, and Margaery’ll be there. We’ll watch this crazy-ass sport, get drunk and dance. It’ll take you mind off of Ned-fucking asshole-Dayne, so what’s the problem?” Sansa said, grinning down at Arya as she finally fell into step with her again. Upon seeing the stony expression on Arya’s face, Sansa grimaced, slinging an arm around her shoulders and drawing her close in a sisterly embrace.

“Sorry, too soon wasn’t it?” she asked and Arya looked up at her with a grimace of her own. “A bit yeah.” Sansa put her other arm around Arya’s shoulders, drawing her closer still. Edric Dayne, was Arya’s ex-boyfriend. He was also her first boyfriend. They’d met when she’d first started at university. They’d gotten on well and before long they were a couple. He was Arya’s first for everything, her first relationship her first kiss, her first time. It wasn’t long after that that she’d found out he’d cheated on her.

When Arya had confronted him about it he’d gotten down on both knees, told her how sorry he was, that he’d never do it again and he’d always be faithful to her The second time he’d cheated on her, she’d found out from her sister’s girlfriend and, when she’d confronted him again he’d told he he was drunk, that he want thinking and that he loved her ‘more than anything’ he’d said to her. Arya hater herself for believing him. Because when he cheated on her for a third time. She didn’t give him a second chance and she’d kicked him to the curb. For a while she’d been inconsolable and Sansa had been the one to pull her out of the growing darkness that she’d been falling into.

 

Gripping her sister’s hand, Sansa lead her to the front row of the bleachers, where they found Margaery lounging casually, her leg stretched out across two spaces, and her weight braced behind her on one hand. Dark sunglasses shielding her eyes. When Sansa and Arya stopped in front of her, she raised her glasses to the top of her head, red-painted lips pulling up into a smirk as she looked Sansa up and down. “Hey girls” she sang as she jumped to her feet, standing up on her toes to kiss Sansa lightly on the lips. “So what’ve we missed” Arya said, moving around the girls to sit down, Sansa smirked as she sat down between her sister and her girlfriend, slinging one leg over Margaery’s and bracing her weight back on her hands. “Ladies and Gentleman, welcome North Carolina’s Buck-n-Shoot, world championship” boomed the commentator’s voice through speaker, ringing out across the rink. “Next up we have Gendry Waters...” Arya switched off after this, looking down at the cowboy boots Sansa forced her to wear.

When Sansa offered her a bear bottle and she accepted with a rueful grin, turning her attention back to the rink. She knew the basic rules of the bull riding sport, the rider had to hold onto the saddle with one hand for eight seconds, if they lasted those eight secind, then they’d move onto the next round, if they didn’t last the whole of the allotted time, they lost. “Hey Ar?” “Hmm?” “Check out that guy in the shoot.” Arya followed her sister’s instruction and looked to the shoot, where the next rider Gendry Waters, Arya guessed, was preparing for his own turn to ride. Arya observed him, he was well built, strong shoulders, a wide chest and narrow hips. His hair was hidden beneath a black cowboy hat, he was too far away for her to see his eyes but Arya couldn’t stop herself from staring at him. When he turned towards her, Arya jumped out if her reverie, blushing and looking down in embarrassment when she realised she had been caught staring. She watched from under her eyelashes as his team carefully lowered him onto the bull’s back.

“Oh my god Ar he’s staring right at you, god look at those shoulders”’ Margaery giggles, leaning forwards to smirk at her. Rolling her eyes, Arya scoffed, “shut up” she mumbles. A bell sounded, and the three young women turned their attention to the rink, as the bull shot out, bucking and spinning in attempt to shake off his rider. In transfixed worry, Arya watched, leaning forwards, her fingers gripping the bench beneath her. When the bull gave a particularly aggressive buck, Arya’s hand shot out to grip Sansa’s. And then another bell sounded, signalling that’s the eight seconds were over, and Gendry let go of the saddle on the bull, flying into the air before landing deftly into a crouch. The crowd burst out into cheers and whoops It was then that those whoops turned to shouts and screams of panic as the bull, who had apparently realised he was free of his rider charged at Gendry, and the man in question barely had enough time to get to his feet and charge at the fence surrounding the rink. Arya watched in shock as he gripped onto the fencing in front of her, climbing high enough to be out of the animal’s reach. It seemed as though the bull had lost interest, as he had turned and charged away towards a tunnel meant for the bull.

 

Arya turned her attention from the bull back to Gendry as his black hat slipped from his head and dropped to the grind at her toes. Gendry looked down at the hat before lifting his gaze to look at Arya, looking her up and down, a half smirk bulling at his lips, his eyes, which were a striking blue crinkled in amusement as his black, shaggy hair flopped down into his eyes. With a final smirk and wink at Arya, he dropped down from the fence onto the dusty ground and turned to walk back across the rink. It was then that Arya broke out of her trance, she was on her feet before she could even think and picking up Gendry’s forgotten hat, slipping her arm through the gap in the fence.

 

“ _Hey_!”

Gendry turned, he smirked at her, looking her up and down again.

 

“Keep it!”

 

The crowed seemed to sense what was happening because Arya registered the whistles and whoops of amusement. With a final grin, Gendry turned and stride across rink. Arya slid arm back through the gap in the fence and placed Gendry’s hat back on her head. She turned back to Sansa and Margaery, who both smirked at her, Sansa, who was now standing, saluted her with her beer bottle. “Oh, work it girl”. Arya couldn’t help but grin and giggle and gave a shake and sway of her hips, bobbing her head as she gave a mocking dance to her sister’s teasing.

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Arya has been sitting at the bar, contentedly watching people, more specifically her sister and her girlfriend, dance when she’d spotted him. Ned Dayne was sitting in a booth with several of his friend, drinking and laughing and seemingly unaware of the fact that Arya had spotted him.

 

“ _Unbelievable_!” Arya muttered, placing her beer bottle on the bar behind her and jumping down from the stool. She lifted the hat from her head as she ran her fingers through her bubblegum hair as she walked towards Sansa and Margaery in a state close to panic. “Sans!” Arya hissed as she grabbed her sister’s arm. “What? What’s the matter?” Sansa asked upon seeing the panic on Arya’s face. “It’s Dayne. Ned followed us here Sans I’m sure he did”. Margaery gripped her arm comfortingly, “where is he?” she asked, looking around, suspicion written all over her face. Arya glanced over her shoulder, nodded to where Edric Dayne sat with his friends, and Margaery and Sansa followed her line of sight. “Alright! You go outside, if he sees us, well distract him”, Sansa told her, leaving no room for an argument. Arya nodded turning away and made for the exit if the barn. As she exited the barn, Arya let out a sigh of relief, casting about for a place to hide, she eventually settled for the bleachers, and made her way towards them.

 

She settled down on the back bench of the bleachers, leaning forwards and closing her eyes, relishing in the cool air and how it differed from the stuffy atmosphere of the barn-turned-bar. She felt the bench dip and she opened her eyes to the metallic creak, Arya turned her head to her new companion. Upon registering who it was, she felt her lips go dry and her neck, cheeks and ears heat up. “Hi!” “Hey”, Arya almost squeaked, her embarrassment ever growing. The bull rider from earlier grinned at her, and Arya wracked her brains, trying to remember her name, the panic upon seeing Ned had made her forget almost everything else.

 

 

“It’s a beautiful night isn’t it?” said the bull rider, tilting back his head to look up at the stars winking down at them from the clear sky. Arya couldn’t help but give a rueful grin as she shrugged her response, “yeah it is, beautiful, I mean, a beautiful night”, she babbled awkwardly. The bull rider held out his hand to her, “Gendry Waters”, he said, flashing a dazzling grin at her. Arya blushes again, and managed a rueful half-smile of her own. “Arya Stark”, she replied, slipping her hand into his, it was warm and almost swallowed hers. As Arya withdrew her hand, realisation dawned on her. “Oh”, she said, a pink blush creeping up her neck, “I nearly forgot”, she lifted Gendry’s hat from her head, and held it out to him, he only smiled and held up how hands.

 

“No, no, you keep it, it looks much better on you”, a breathy laugh escapes her as he said spoke, and she down briefly before looking back up at him. She placed the hat back on her head, tilting it at jaunty angle. “Like this?” she giggled, stifling a laugh and lifting his fingers to touch his lips briefly, he looked way before looking back at her again.

 

“I’m sorry, may I-“, Gendry stooped and gestured to his hat on her head. Staring at him with wide eyes, Arya nodded. “Be my guest.” Carefully, so as not to tousle her pink, curly hair, he lifted the hat off of her head, before bringing down again to sit properly on her head. “There”, he said, his voice barely audible.

 

“Beautiful!”


End file.
